“Part of our lives was lost that day.” “What we expected just happened. The dam broke.” “Dit is nie ’n lekker gevoel as jy op so iets afkom nie. Dit is horrific. Ons het nie gedink dit sal met ons gebeur nie.” “It’s been two years and still no one has thanked me for the lives I saved.” “11 September was a painful day. To this day, we haven’t healed.” “I did not do it to be compensated. I can’t leave someone who I see dying.”

These are the voices of some of the community members who experienced great tragedy on 11 September 2022, the day the dam wall collapsed in Jagersfontein. This is the historic site of South Africa's first open-pit diamond mine where two of the world’s largest diamonds were mined. A massive mudslide swept across the landscape, through parts of the town and some of the residents' homes – destroying some and damaging others – leaving deep scars.

Preserving memories

On 9 September 2024, the community of Jagersfontein came together for a regenerative public art event – Jagersfontein Meraka, Pixels to Perspectives – which consisted of an art exhibition and public gathering designed to promote healing and reflection through the power of visual storytelling. Held at Moth Square, the event featured a community photo exhibition, digital stories about the 2022 mine tailings dam disaster, and impromptu performances during an open mic session.

Prof Lochner Marais, Head of the Centre for Development Support (CDS) at the University of the Free State (UFS), conducted research related to the Jagersfontein tailings dam tragedy. One of the articles he completed was titled: ‘The catastrophic failure of the Jagersfontein tailings dam: an industrial disaster 150 years in the making’. The article was published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Data he collected also covered the nature and scale of trauma experienced by the affected community. In the process of working through the data, Dr Anita Venter, Lecturer in CDS, felt that the community had not said everything that needed to be said.

For three to four months, she listened to the community’s stories and identified a recurring theme – the people’s desire to preserve memories through photos, many of which were lost in the disaster. "People were talking about photos, memories, and the deep hurt they had within them. Some people even went out and found the old photos and washed them. A woman told me the photo was of her husband who died five years ago. This was the only photo she had of him. So, it was really impactful to listen to,” she said.

This listening process inspired Dr Venter – who is also an artist – to contribute creatively by facilitating the community-driven art exhibition. The event became a platform for healing and memory creation, with Dr Venter stating, “We’re adjusting to what the community wants ... it’s the people’s voices; it’s the story they want to tell, not us."

Taking ownership of their narrative

The participatory, arts-based approach of the Pixels to Perspectives event allowed the Jagersfontein community to take ownership of their narrative. Dr Venter explained that the exhibition was not just about displaying photos, but about helping the community process their trauma. "People came in and out of town during the disaster, but the people never really had the chance to tell their own stories in their own way," she reflected. By digitalising and preserving the photos, the project aimed to help the community remember the disaster and honour those memories for future generations. Dr Venter added, "Through talking and sharing, they got a chance to process and heal."

She said the project was about giving back. "We’re not only collecting research; we’re giving back through the voices we hear from the people," she said. The art exhibition created a space for emotional release and connection, bringing the divided community together in a meaningful way. "Through the arts, people opened up much quicker than through traditional research methods," she noted. The event also received strong support from the local municipality, which opened and made the townhall available for the first time since 2009. Even the mine came to dump some of the toxic soil/dry sludge at the exhibition space, helping to recreate the houses that were damaged or lost as a result of the disaster. “This is a living artwork happening ... the people are the curators of their own event,” Dr Venter said.

The process became Dr Venter’s case study, following a participatory action learning research methodology for community-based research, which is part of the Unesco Knowledge for Change Hub. The case study is part of her contribution of evidence for the community-based research. In this initiative, which is part of the Unesco Chair for Community-based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education, Dr Karen Venter – Head of Service Learning in the Directorate Community Engagement – is Dr Venter’s mentor. 

Dr Venter’s co-researcher, Lenosa RaLeseli Mohapang, a student at the UFS and a member of the Active Community Citizens through Engaged Scholarship for Sustainability (ACCESS) organisation, has been actively involved in the participatory action research in Jagersfontein. As both a student and a public artist, Lenosa believes in the transformative power of art to bring about healing within communities impacted by trauma.

Reflecting on the project, Lenosa noted how his involvement enabled him to witness the power of collective healing. Initially, community members were divided and unable to engage with one another, but through the exhibition and public art efforts, he saw meaningful progress. "Two months ago, there were certain people who couldn't even be in the same venue or speak to each other, but today we have created an atmosphere where the community can heal together as a collective," he explained, stating that, “Sometimes you can heal individually. But it would be much better and more meaningful and more impactful if you heal as a collective.”

About becoming stronger

Dr Venter said she is now leaving the exhibition in the hands of the community to take ownership of it. “We're leaving all the canvases and the photos here for the people so that they can curate their own exhibitions in the future, because you need the photos to tell a story; a unique story that has not been told through the media.”

Karabo Legetla – a student and performing artist – will take on the role of curator for the next art exhibition in 2025. She plans to host the event in one of the damaged houses from the 2022 disaster, transforming the space into a powerful art area. "The plan is to have it over there in a house where everybody can at least feel the mood," she shared. This approach aims to create a deeper emotional connection and reflection, as the exhibition continues to evolve.

Ntate Tshepiso Ngubeni, a resident of Jagersfontein and survivor of the 2022 mine sludge disaster, said that although revisiting the memories was painful, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to archive this part of Jagersfontein’s history. "It is a little bit traumatic. It brings back memories, very sad ones. But we are happy that it happened, because it will form part of the archives of Jagersfontein’s history." He stated, “It is not so much to relive what happened in 2022, but to commemorate so that we can be stronger and fight our way forward.”

The Pixels to Perspectives event represents an important step in Jagersfontein’s journey towards recovery. It stands as a testament to the strength of its people, who have come together to honour their heroes, and use art as a tool for healing.

Watch the digital stories from the community about the 2022 mine disaster in Jagersfontein